Senior Manager, Backend Engineering

Company Description VERSANT, Comcast Corporation’s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) planned spin-off, will be a leading independent publicly traded media company comprised of most of NBCUniversal’s cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions. At VERSANT Media’s Sports & Entertainment Digital Products division, we’re driven by a shared mission: to innovate, create unforgettable experiences, and connect with fans through the power of technology. Our diverse portfolio brings together industry-leading platforms that serve millions of users across the sports and entertainment landscape. In entertainment, we reach over 50 million movie and TV fans through our trusted digital brands. Our platforms support every stage of the fan journey – from discovering content to enjoying it on the big screen or at home. Our portfolio includes Fandango, the nation’s leading online movie ticketing service, partnering with more than 31,000 U.S. movie screens; Rotten Tomatoes, the iconic destination for movie and TV reviews; and Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), our on-demand streaming service offering more than 250,000 titles, including new releases, next-day TV, and the largest selection of 4K UHD content in the industry. Job Description We are seeking a Senior Manager, Backend Engineering to lead the re-platforming of our core backend services while ensuring uninterrupted operation of existing production systems. This is a hands-on technical leadership role — you will both manage and mentor a team of engineers and serve as the technical lead, driving design and implementation decisions for high-scale, high-availability systems. The Senior Manager will guide the modernization of APIs and microservices that power transactional video-on-demand (TVOD), electronic sell-through (EST), personalization, search, and payments — while maintaining stability of legacy services that millions of customers rely on today. Key Responsibilities Hands-On Technical Leadership Serve as the technical lead for the team, providing direct guidance in: Java development and high-performance service design Database schema design and distributed data management Systems architecture for microservices and API platforms Participate in architectural reviews, code reviews, and design discussions to ensure high-quality delivery. Collaborate closely with Product Management and other stakeholders to align technical solutions with business goals. Re-platforming & Modernization Lead the re-architecture and migration of backend services to modern, cloud-native infrastructure. Define technical roadmap for evolving legacy systems including Director service, CIS, personalization, search, and payments. Balance short-term operational stability with long-term modernization goals. Business Continuity & Reliability Ensure 24/7 availability and performance of backend services during re-platforming. Maintain strict SLAs for latency, uptime, and error rates across millions of users and devices. Implement best practices for rollback, parallel runs, and phased cutovers. Team Leadership & Development Manage, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering team. Drive a culture of resilience, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Establish ownership boundaries between “maintain” and “modernize” workstreams. Strategic Impact Create KPIs and dashboards to measure re-platforming progress, cost efficiency, and performance gains. Align backend evolution with organizational goals across TVOD, AVOD, PPV, and live streaming expansion. Influence long-term architectural direction and technology investment decisions. Qualifications Qualifications 8+ years of backend/software engineering experience with at least 3 years in a management role. Proven success leading large-scale re-platforming or modernization initiatives in a production environment. Deep hands-on expertise in Java, distributed systems, microservices, and API design. Strong experience with database schema design and distributed data management. Solid background in systems architecture and cloud-native services. Experience balancing “keep the lights on” operations with transformation efforts. Familiarity with personalization, search, or payments systems a plus. Exceptional leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills. BS/MS in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent practical experience. Fully Remote: This role has been designated as fully remote, meaning it is expected to be performed from a non-NBCUniversal worksite, typically an employee’s residence. #LI-Remote Additional Information As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected]. Although you'll be hired as an NBCU employee, your employment and the responsibilities associated with this job likely will transition to Versant in the future. By joining at this pivotal time, you'll be a part of this exciting company as it takes shape.